scholarly journals Comparison of pre-intervention IDI results from STEM and non-STEM undergraduate students

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne M Lucietto ◽  
Liza Russell
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Intercultural Development ◽  
Intercultural Development Inventory ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Mathematics Majors ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics

The emphasis on intercultural competence is more prevalent in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) majors as the world shifts towards a more globalized economy. When entering higher education, students have differing levels of cultural interaction due to varying peer interaction, family experiences, international travel, and social media experiences. The Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) has been used to develop an understanding of how students view others and the level of skills they have to interact and adapt to other cultures. Using published data focused on pre-intervention assessment, researchers compared it to data obtained from STEM students preparing for an international experience and studies that already exist to learn more about both student populations and to gain an appreciation of their cultural competencies. As institutions look to prepare their students for jobs in a global workplace, an understanding of where STEM students place according to the IDI in comparison to their non-STEM peers may aid educators wishing to focus on developing these skills in their students. The results of the comparison between Purdue STEM students and other non-STEM students showed STEM students fell into more ethnocentric levels of intercultural competence. This may be explained by the traditionally male-dominated nature of STEM majors, as males have been shown to fall in more ethnocentric orientations.

scholarly journals Building Intercultural Competence Through Intercultural Competency Certification Of Undergraduate Students

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
Maria G. Fabregas Janeiro ◽  
Ricardo Lopez Fabre ◽  
Jose Pablo Nuno de la Parra
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Initial Level ◽  
Intercultural Sensitivity ◽  
Developmental Model ◽  
Intercultural Development ◽  
Intercultural Development Inventory ◽  
Comprehensive Plan ◽  
Intercultural Competency ◽  
Travel Abroad

The Intercultural Competency Certificate (CCI in Spanish) designed for the Universidad Popular Automa del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP University) is a theory based comprehensive plan to develop undergraduate students intercultural competence. This Certificate is based in the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) developed by Milton Bennett (1993) and will be assessed by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) v.3 developed by Bennett & Hammer (Hammer, 2009; Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003). The main purpose of the Intercultural Competency Certificate is to develop students intercultural competence at least to the acceptance level of the DMIS continuum. To achieve this goal, the students will have to develop of necessary knowledge, skill and attitudes (Deardorff, 2006). This Certificate proposes to develop attitudes, knowledge and skills through certain activities as learning a new language, take international classes, reflect about intercultural differences, interact with people from other cultures, travel abroad and receive coaching by a professional who will guide them through tailor-make experiences according to the initial level of intercultural competence, measured by the IDI v.3 at the beginning of the Certification.

Fostering Persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): Creating an Equitable Environment That Addresses the Needs of Undergraduate Students

2022 ◽  
pp. 152102512110735
Author(s):  
Jennifer Louten
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Real World ◽  
Hispanic Students ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics

Student retention is a critical issue for universities, and nearly half of the students who start degree programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not complete them. The current study tracks the progress of STEM students taking part in an entry-to-graduation program designed to build community, provide academic and social support, and promote engagement in academically purposeful activities. Although it had no effect on the number of students who changed their major, the program more than doubled the number of students who graduated in their original major. Black or Hispanic students taking part in the program also graduated at twice the rate of comparator students, largely attributable to the success of women in these groups. The results provide needed real-world insights into how to create an equitable environment that promotes the persistence and graduation of students, including those from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

scholarly journals Building an Inclusive Campus: Developing Students’ Intercultural Competencies Through an Interreligious and Intercultural Diversity Program

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-64
Author(s):  
Amy Rose Green ◽  
Adriana Tulissi ◽  
Seth Erais ◽  
Sharon Lynn Cairns ◽  
Debbie Bruckner
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Students ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Intercultural Development ◽  
Intercultural Development Inventory ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Intercultural Competencies ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Intercultural Engagement ◽  
Insight Into

Post-secondary institutions are increasingly recognizing the need to foster intercultural competence (ICC) in students; however, the ways in which these institutions can do so has not been fully explored. The purpose of the current mixed methods study was to investigate changes in post-secondary students’ ICC (N = 35) following participation in an interreligious and intercultural diversity program, based upon changes in students’ scores on the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). A thematic analysis of post-program questionnaires was used to triangulate the data and provide more insight into changes experienced by participants. Quantitative results revealed significant increases in students’ overall ICC, and significant decreases in the discrepancy between students’ perceived ICC and their actual ICC. Qualitative results revealed five overall themes: (1) shifting perspectives, (2) enhancing intercultural engagement skills, (3) connecting, (4) inspiring action, and (5) personal growth. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals The Difference In The Effects Of Longitudinal Effects Of Network Latency On STEM And Non-STEM Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
H. Francis Bush ◽  
Vonda Walsh ◽  
Jay Sullivan ◽  
James Squire
Keyword(s):  
Learning Styles ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Senior Year ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Network Latency ◽  
Longitudinal Effects ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Subjective Learning

As enrollment in online courses increases faster than the overall enrollments in higher education, the differences in learning styles and academic disciplines need to be identified.  Further, the focus on the demand for students pursuing degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has gained prominence in the past decade.  An experiment was conducted to study the interaction of objective learning and subjective learning, objective learning and enjoyment, and subjective learning and enjoyment on the longitudinal effects of network latency on students who were classified as STEM majors or non-STEM majors (humanities and social sciences).  The findings indicate that students from different majors responded differently by the time students have progressed to their senior year in reference to their learning styles and sensitivity to network delays than it was when they were freshmen.  The study suggests that the accumulation of experience and choice of major are important factors in mitigating the effects of network delay on learning.

scholarly journals Do Biology Majors Really Differ from Non–STEM Majors?

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. ar48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sehoya Cotner ◽  
Seth Thompson ◽  
Robin Wright
Keyword(s):  
Life Sciences ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Mathematics Majors ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
Informed Citizenry ◽  
Improved Learning ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Science Educators ◽  
Biology Majors

Recent calls to action urge sweeping reform in science education, advocating for improved learning for all students—including those majoring in fields beyond the sciences. However, little work has been done to characterize the differences—if any exist—between students planning a career in science and those studying other disciplines. We describe an attempt to clarify, in broad terms, how non–STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors differ from life sciences majors, and how they are similar. Using survey responses and institutional data, we find that non–STEM majors are not unilaterally science averse; non–STEM majors are more likely than biology majors to hold misconceptions about the nature of science, yet they are not completely ignorant of how science works; non–STEM majors are less likely than biology majors to see science as personally relevant; and non–STEM majors populations are likely to be more diverse—with respect to incoming knowledge, perceptions, backgrounds, and skills—than a biology majors population. We encourage science educators to consider these characteristics when designing curricula for future scientists or simply for a well-informed citizenry.

Exploring the Spatial Ability of Undergraduate Students: Association With Gender, STEM Majors, and Gifted Program Membership

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 313-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
So Yoon Yoon ◽  
Eric L. Mann
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Spatial Ability ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Ability Test ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Gifted Program ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Mathematics

Spatial ability has been valued as a talent domain and as an assessment form that reduces cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic status biases, yet little is known of the spatial ability of students in gifted programs compared with those in general education. Spatial ability is considered an important indicator of potential talent in the domains of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study explored undergraduate students’ spatial ability, focusing on mental rotation, by investigating the relationships of three variables with performance on a spatial ability test, in terms of test scores and test completion time. A three-way analysis of variance revealed statistically significant main effects of gifted program participation, choice of academic major, and gender, suggesting that students who participated in a gifted program, who majored in a STEM discipline, or who were male outperformed their counterparts on a measure of spatial ability when the other conditions were equivalent. No interaction effects existed among the three variables, indicating that none of them functioned as a moderator of students’ performance on the spatial ability assessment. However, when spatial ability was considered as a mediating variable in a path model, gender had the largest total effect on the probability of students majoring in a STEM area. In addition, the more time students spent on the spatial ability test, the better they tended to perform, which is a finding inconsistent with current literature.

scholarly journals Experiences of Judeo-Christian Students in Undergraduate Biology

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. ar15 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Elizabeth Barnes ◽  
Jasmine M. Truong ◽  
Sara E. Brownell
Keyword(s):  
Religious Identity ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Religious Identities ◽  
Stem Majors ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Secular Culture ◽  
Christian Students ◽  
Adverse Experiences ◽  
Stem Students ◽  
And Mathematics

A major research thrust in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is focused on how to retain students as STEM majors. The accumulation of seemingly insignificant negative experiences in STEM classes can, over time, lead STEM students to have a low sense of belonging in their disciplines, and this can lead to lower retention. In this paper, we explore how Judeo-Christian students in biology have experiences related to their religious identities that could impact their retention in biology. In 28 interviews with Judeo-Christian students taking undergraduate biology classes, students reported a religious identity that can conflict with the secular culture and content of biology. Some students felt that, because they are religious, they fall within a minority in their classes and would not be seen as credible within the biology community. Students reported adverse experiences when instructors had negative dispositions toward religion and when instructors were rigid in their instructional practices when teaching evolution. These data suggest that this may be a population susceptible to experiences of cultural conflict between their religious identities and their STEM identities, which could have implications for retention. We argue that more research should explore how Judeo-Christian students’ experiences in biology classes influence their sense of belonging and retention.

Collaboration Not Competition

2013 ◽  
pp. 64-82
Author(s):  
Cynthia J. Benton ◽  
Orvil L. White ◽  
Susan K. Stratton
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Public School Teachers ◽  
Program Success ◽  
Study And Teaching ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Collaborative Learning Opportunities

This chapter documents the development of a program for college faculty, public school teachers, graduate, and undergraduate students to pursue international travel, study, and teaching in Thailand. The program features collaboration among institutions, faculty colleagues, and school personnel focused particularly on science and mathematics education. The chapter reflects on the current methodological perspectives used to compare educational systems and the concomitant outcomes in workforce articulation. Details of expansion, development, and measurement of local, individual, and program success are provided and analyzed using current competitive international models. An alternative view of international relationships as collaborative learning opportunities is proposed.

scholarly journals Rethinking Race, Ethnicity, and the Assessment of Intercultural Competence in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Gemma Punti ◽  
Molly Dingel
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Intercultural Development ◽  
Intercultural Development Inventory ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Intercultural Relationships ◽  
Class Differences ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Cultural Assessment

This qualitative study aims to explore the limitations of using a cultural assessment tool in higher education with the goal of preparing students to thrive in a highly demanding, diverse, and global community. Colleges and universities are potentially important sites of cross-cultural and cross-racial engagement and socialization, and cultural competence is arguably one of the critical skills that many higher education institutions are embracing to prepare students for our diverse, but increasingly polarized, global society. In particular, this study discusses the use of the intercultural development inventory (IDI), a cultural assessment tool that has not been validated in the U.S. for racial, ethnic, or social class differences, and which leaves out the role of structural inequalities in intercultural relationships. Findings reveal that interview data from black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) did not align with their IDI results and that the tool dismisses the complex experiences of BIPOC students. These findings jeopardize the tool’s purpose and validity. Finally, this study reveals the importance of educating students about structural competence to improve empathy and understanding of a diverse student body.

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